Electrical connectors



F. T. ANDERSON ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Aug. 21,v 1956 Filed Feb. 1o, 195:5

INVENTOR. fA/VKL//v T/l/voE/Qs oN lllllllllllll ll llllll Il mmm L 4 [Iii hold an insert within 2,760,172 ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Franklin T. Anderson, Westfield, N. J., assignor to Co- Operative Industries, Inc., Chester, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 10, 1953, Serial No. 336,077 3 Claims. (Cl. 339-59) This invention relates to improvements in electrical connectors. In particular, the invention is directed to those devices by which one or several electrical circuits may be mechanically connected and disconnected as a unit by the use of pin and socket means to which circuit wiring is attached.

Pin and socket connectors are in common use in aircraft practices as, for example, in shielded wiring for auxiliary components. Generally, such applications relate to relatively low tension wiring as lighting and control circuits wherein the placement is within the structure of the aircraft, protected from weather and other destructive elements. More recently, low tension wiring has beenl adapted for ignition purposes, directing current from a low tension source to transformer type spark plugs as contrasted to the use of high tension wiring to the plugs. In either instance of ignition wiring it is vital that the wiring components be completely weatherproof and waterproof and resistant to fuelsv or fumes which may be present at the aircraft engine. At the same time, the wiring must be electrically shielded against emanation of undesirable electrical current which would otherwise tend to cause inter- 'ference in radio or electronic equipment aboard the aircraft.

My present invention comprehends a socket type connector for low tension ignition use and it is the principal object of the invention to provide an improved construction for socket connectors of a weatherproof and waterproof variety. It is also an object of the invention to provide a socket connector which serves as an electrical shield and to which other shielding apparatus may be readily attached, and 4one which is relatively simple to manufacture and to assemble and which may, likewise, be readily disassembled for purposes of rewiring.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the following description of a preferred physical embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawing which forms a part thereof, in which Figure l is a longitudinal cross section view of an assembled connector illustrating the invention,

Figure 2 is a partial top plan view of the connector of Figure l with a corner cut away and in cross section to show components thereof,

Figure 3 is a view showing an enlarged fragmentary portion of the cut away section of Figure 2 with the components of the connector only partly assembled,

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 with the connector components assembled,

Figure 5 is a View, partly in cross section, of an insulating insert forming a component lof the connector,

Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 showing an alternative insulating insert component, and

Figure 7 is a plan view of a retaining element used to the shell of my improved connector.

Referring to the drawing, the device of my invention serves as a female or socket connector including a tubular outer metallic shell 10, Figure 1, arranged with a main bore 11 at one end connecting through a reduced section and a necked down section to an open bore 11' at the opposite end, the latter of which is provided' so that a flexible or rigid conduit may be appropriately soldered or brazed theretoI in order to shield and to protect wiring leading therefrom. Connector shells of this general nature are known and, for application with shielding conduit, may either be adapted for permanent fastening to a conduit as illustrated or may be provided with a threaded portion in place of the solder well 11 so that a conduit may be detachably secured thereto. On the front end, as at 12, see also Figure 2, the shell permits a corresponding male connector to be slidably engaged thereover and, for purposes of indexing with a male connector, end section 1?; has a longitudinal slot 13 designed to accommodate a key in a male connector. A nut 14 swivels over shell 10 in abutment with the rear face of the concentric ring portion 15 so that the connector may be drawn into engagement with a threaded portion on the corresponding male iitting.

Within the bore 11 of shell 10 and extending substantially from the face of the front end 12 to the internal shoulder 16 is an insulating member 17, preferably of a deformable synthetic rubber suitably cored to receive one or more metallic socket terminals 18 to which are connected the insulated lead-in cables 19. Backing the insulating member 17 in direct abutment with the shoulder 16 is a non-deformable insulating disc 17' serving to enhance the support of member 17. Cables 19 are provided with the usual insulating chang sleeves 20 located at the internal solder well constriction giving added protection in vibration and bending when they connector is employed with flexible conduit.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the insulating member 17 is an elongated, cylindrical, stopper-like part having a slight.- ly tapering external wall 21 with the larger front end reduced in diameter as at 22 and terminating in a concentric shoulder 23. The spaced cored holes 24 extend throughout the length of member 17 with short restri`ctions intermediate of their lengths to engage a corresponding configuration in terminals 18, whereby the latter are held snugly in position as shown in Figure l. The tapering of wall 21 permits a moisture tight seal with bore 11 as the insert is forced within the shell and also tends, by reason of the deformable nature of the synthetic rubber, to seal the walls of cored holes 24 against the external surfaces of terminals 18. Insert 17 is oriented for angular relationship of terminals 18 and slot 13 before being added to the shell and is pressed inwardly until it abuts the rigid insulating disc 17 seating against shoulder Alternative construction of the insulating member is illustrated in Figure 6 where, in place of a tapering external wall as 21 of Figure 5, the surface 21 is regularly cylindrical and a raised peripheral ring 21 is located adjacent the inner end thereof. Thus, compressive displacement takes place when the part is inserted in the shell 10 tending to provide the required moisture sealing both between the insert and the shell wall and between the insert and the terminals 18. It will be understood that any convenient number of cored terminal holes 24 may be used consistent with the requirements and that their arrangement may be made to suit the male connector to which the socket connector is to be mated. It will be further understood that a plurality of annular rings 21" may be used in place of the single ring illustrated for furthering the purposes desired.

To secure the insert 17 in place within the shell 10 and to thus prevent any tendency to pull apart from the shell when a male connector is detached, I provide a locking ring 25, shown in its assembled position in Figures 1 and 2 and illustrated in detail in Figure 7. Ring 25 is lby reference to 17 overextends ence to Figure 4, that interference is present between .for the ring ends 25 spring retained in the internal groove 26 of shell 10, see Figure 2, and may be inserted after the assembly of the insert 17 through the clearance provided adjacent the reduced end portion 22. It will be noted particularly Figure 3 that the shoulder 23 of insert the inner face of groove 26, and by referring 25 and shoulder 23 when the parts are assembled. In this manner the tendency is for insert 17 to be held securely against outward displacement and furthermore, the moisture sealing effect is enhanced by the deformation of the overextending portion of the insert against the edge of groove 26.

An important feature of the invention resides in the use of spaced, reversely directed ends 25 of ring 25 which are adapted to lock in the transverse slot 13 crossing the indexing slot 13, and terminating flush with the outer surface of the end portion 12 of shell 10. By means of this arrangement of parts slot 13 may be utilized as clearance during assembly and dis-assembly manipulations, but is free of obstruction when associating the indexing key of a corresponding male connector therewith.

When assembling the connector of my invention in a wired system, cables 19 are first soldered or otherwise secured in electrical contact to terminals 18 with the terminals apart from insert 17, after which chaiing sleeves 20 are adjusted to position. Disc 17 and insert 17 are then added over the terminals following which the cables are threaded into the shell and through conduit (not shown) attached thereto. As. hereinbef'ore outlined, the insulator with assembled terminals is appropriately indexed with respect to the shell slot 13 and is pressed into full engagement Within bore 11, thus hermetically sealing against any possible source of moisture which could tend to enter the system through the connector. Final locking and sealing is accomplished by the application of split ring 25 in the manner described.

While I have herein described preferred construction for embodying my invention in connector apparatus, it is to be understood that changes may be made in the size, shape and in the arrangement of parts Without departing from the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In an electrical connector -of the class described, in combination, a connector shell including an insulator socket at one end thereof with a longitudinal indexing slot, a transverse slot in said socket intersecting the longitudinal slot, means to secure that end of the shell to a companion connector and the other end to a component conduit, terminals Within the shell for electrical connection with cable Wiring, a resilient, deformable insulating member removably inserted within said shell in moisture sealing engagement with the inner surface thereof and with the external surfaces ofsaid terminals, and a spacedend retainer locking said insulating member within said shell, the ends of said retainer being situated on opposite sides of said indexing slot within said transverse slot.

2. In an electrical connector `of the class described, in combination, a connector shell including an insulator socket at one end thereof with a longitudinal indexing slot, a transverse slot in said socket intersecting the longitudinal slot, an internal groove terminating in said transverse slot, means to secure that end of the shell to a companion connector and the other end to a component conduit, terminals within the shell for electrical connection with cable wiring, a resilient, deformable insulating member removably inserted Within said shell, and a spacedend retainer locking said insulating member within said shell, said retainer being disposed in said internal groove with the spaced ends thereof situated on opposite sides of said indexing slot within said transverse slot.

3. In an electrical connector of the class described, in combination, a connector shell including an insulator socket at oneend thereof with a longitudinal indexing slot, a transverse slot in said socket intersecting the longitudinal slot, an annular internal groove terminating in said transverse slot, means to secure that end of the shell to a companion connector and the other end to a component conduit, terminals within the shell for electrical connection with cable wiring, a resilient, deformable terminal insulating member removably inserted within said shell, anda retainer locking said insulating member within said shell, said retainer consisting of an annular ring having out-turned, spaced ends and being disposed in said internal groove with the spaced ends thereof situated in said transverse slot in opposite sides of said longitudinal slot and terminating flush with the external shell surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,687,074 Wichert Oct. 9, 1928 2,095,254 Holliday et al. Oct. 12, 1937 2,563,713 Frei et al. Aug. 7, 1951 

